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Belize And Guatemala Sign Amended Compromis, PUP A No-Show
posted (May 26, 2015)
Ever since it was announced two weeks ago that Government would sign an amended special agreement , or compromis with the Guatemalans in their capital city - we have heard howls of disapproval from COLA, the VIP, and the PUP. But, government was undeterred: it moved ahead with the OAS to sign the agreement yesterday in Guatemala. The government press office was there and Jules Vasquez put together this story:..

Jules Vasquez reporting
Ringed by Volcanic mountains, and a skyline punctuated by high rise buildings Guatemala City melds the colonial and the modern. The central park is shadowed by the magisterial national palace and the metropolitan cathedral.

But the amended special agreement was not signed in this citadel of power but in the Guatemalan Ministry of Foreign Affairs. Where before the signing, Belize's CEO Lawrence Sylvester was chatting with Military Attache Lt. Col Anthony Velasquez while Ambassador Stuart Leslie, was conversing with his Guatemalan counterparts.

At 9:30, the proceedings became formal as Secretary General of the OAS Jose Miguel Insulza flanked by Foreign Ministers Wilfred Elrington and Carlos Raul Morales arrived.

In short order, they signed the agreement in front of an oddly designed Belizean flag, they shook on it - and told the gathering why it was necessary:

Hon. Wilfred Elrington, Minister of Foreign Affairs
"The protocol does no more than add an element of flexibility with respect to the time of the holding of each national referendum. The special agreement remains the same in all other respects."

Carlos Raul Morales, Guatemalan Minister of Foreign Affairs
"Why did you make the protocol and why did you sign the protocol today? That is what many journalists has asked me - I told them because we cannot wait more we have lost much time in history, much valuable time. But there are also cultural differences that are preventing simultaneous referendums: In Belize for example the culture is to have elections on a Tuesday, within the week, but in Guatemala, on a Sunday - this is primarily a cultural difference, and which will it be, Belize or Guatemala."

Elrington says that Belize will go shortly after Guatemala:

Hon. Wilfred Elrington, Minister of Foreign Affairs
"The government of Belize is resolve to put the Guatemalan claim behind us as early as possible. Our government is irrevocable committed to being bound by the decision of the Belizean electorate on this claim as manifested in a referendum. It is also irrevocably committed to holding a referendum on the claim at the earliest possible convenient date."

Hon. Wilfred Elrington, Minister of Foreign Affairs
"I can assure you that in fact, certainly the case with Belize, is not going to be much longer now before we hold our referendum and I am assured by the Guatemalan Foreign Minister, my trusted colleague, that in fact, they proposed to go even before us. But the assurance that have been given by our Prime Minister is that it is going to be done shortly thereafter."

And while you will see lots of these flags draping Guatemala's capital the only Belizean flag you'll see is in front of this building where The Embassy of Belize is on the fifteenth floor.

That's where Belize's Ambassador to Guatemala said that Guatemala may not hold the referendum as soon as it hopes due to domestic difficulties:

H.E. Alexis Rosado, Belize's Ambassador To Guatemala
"There's no doubt that the difficulties they are having now might affect whatever interest they had in having it this year."

But, they are determined to have it:

Hon. Wilfred Elrington, Minister of Foreign Affairs
"The Guatemalans for all intents and purposes seem to have no fear of going to the ICJ. They are very positive about it - certainly at the governmental level they are being very aggressive about it. For some inexplicable reason Belizeans seem to be fearful."

And he would lump in the opposition with that group. They should have been in Guatemala for the signing but pulled out:

Hon. Wilfred Elrington, Minister of Foreign Affairs

"How one can explain that at this point in time the Opposition is disengaging, is beyond me. I can't fathom their reasoning. The point that we have reached today, was put in place by them. In 2007, they concluded that the only way to go is the ICJ. The decision to go to the ICJ was taken by them. We are simply following through. How do you explain that on the most fundamental issue relating to the country you have decided to resile from your position and from the process as a whole?"

But opposition or not, it is signed and both parties keep moving towards a fixed target:

Hon. Wilfred Elrington, Minister of Foreign Affairs
"All that remains to be done now is for us to educate the Belizean public to prepare them to make a rational decision when the referendum date is announced."

Carlos Raul Morales, Guatemalan Minister of Foreign Affairs
"We have to have faith. We have to have faith that we are advancing step by step to get to the international court of justice. Because Belize and Guatemala are TWO countries that can work together, that can work hard, that can work in a coordinated manner for our common future."

Neither side has yet named a date for a referendum, but as you saw in the story, either side is free to go ahead independent of the other.

The amended agreement was released to the public this evening.

In his speech - his last as Secretary General of the OAS - Jose Miguel Insulza said that the role of mediator in the Belize-Guatemala dispute has been, quote, "one of the most important tasks of the Organization…to which we have assigned the highest priority." End quote.

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